


Souls and Strangeness

by DarkstarWolf53



Series: Chaos AU [4]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:53:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23998579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkstarWolf53/pseuds/DarkstarWolf53
Summary: It's been a year since Weaver got the anger and hatred smacked out of him by the "murder fluff", another nickname for the tiny winged goddess Storm. He makes an unexpected decision.
Series: Chaos AU [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1707469
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	1. Pondering

**Author's Note:**

> Chaos! Error (c) Cupcake Paints, who is also the co-author of this fic.  
> Storm (c) me

A year. It's been an entire year since Error became part of the flock. His hate and anger towards every AU in existence are long gone. But something is still bothering him.

"Weaver, what is wrong? You have been so quiet lately."

"Storm, have you ever done something that felt right at the time, but regretted it later?"

"Of course, my child. Everyone goes through that. Why do you ask?"

"Uh no reason. You mentioned the veil between realms cycles over the seasons, right?"

"Yes it does, as with all things. Strange question, you have never shown this much interest in cycles before." She turns to look him right in the eye lights 

Error unconsciously turns away a bit. He knows she won't hurt him now, but her cat eyed stare is very intimidating. Better to show submission than accidentally seem to challenge her rank.

"Do you, um, know what it's like right now? I can't tell..."

"This time of year, the veil between life and death is very thin, but the celestial and mortal barrier is stronger than ever. Between living worlds, of course, the veil constantly fluctuates."

"So basically the after-world is easier for new souls to access right?"

"Indeed it is. Comes with the cold season."

"Huh..." He seems lost in thought. Until pointy teeth prick his hand. Storm's bite snaps him out of it.

"I said why do you ask? You aren't planning murder again are you? I really don't want to have to clobber you today."

"No, not murder. Something else. You know how I keep things in the anti-void?"

"I do. I've been to your den many times now."

"And the, er, souls stuck to the ceiling that I use as rather morbid decorations, have you seen those?"

"I haven't seen them but I know of them. And of your darker nature before I got my claws on you."

She's staring at him again. Error hides in his scarf.

"With the veil being like it is, would now be a good time to let them go? Every time I go home I feel guilty."

Storm gasps and aggressively snuggles him.

"You would really free those you have bound? Oh Weaver, that's amazing! I knew you had changed since you joined my pack!"

"It depends. How likely is it that your vengeance spirit friend will dust me for having them bound at all?"

She growls and bares her teeth.

"It knows you have been claimed by me and you are under my protection. If that spirit knows what's good for it, it won't dare risk touching you and invoking my wrath."

"OK, thank code. So I can set them free without being immediately stabbed?"

"Where deities are concerned, yes."

“Some of the owners are still alive though…I don’t know what they would do if I freed their souls.”

A pause, “Wow that sounds really messed up now that I said it out loud.”

“But you were messed up at the time as well”

“That is very true. I know they deserve freedom. I just hope they move on. But in case they don’t, let me warn you about Sarid. He’s almost guaranteed to come after me”

She sits down like a cat and listens intently.

“Ok so initially I was doing my usual job-this was before you-know-what happened. Sarid’s world was dying; too many holes cut in reality. He and Axelia, his sister, were that world’s equivalent of Chara and Frisk, respectively. They had been born at/fell at the same time and were able to free the monsters trapped Underground. When their world’s code got corrupted- and no, it was _not_ because of me-the inhabitants were really suffering so I did what I had to do."

He pauses with a slight shudder. Since the flier woke up his conscience, he's feeling a little guilty about the whole killing people thing even though it was the only humane option at the time.

"I spared Sarid and Lia-they were too determined to get corrupted-but something happened while they were fleeing. Lia…didn’t make it out but her spirit or soul or whatever bound itself to his. He blamed me and then that incident happened. I don’t quite remember the details but I know I have a scar and i…took his soul and Lia with it."

The Destroyer shivers at this; he can almost feel the cold steel against his chest and the murderous rage burning in both himself and his enemy.

"...Will you protect me?" he asks the little warrior

"Of course. And I will fetch your colorful adopted brother as well to help out."

"Ink is pretty annoying sometimes but you're right, maybe he could help me. He's a lot more powerful than I want to admit. Not as strong as me of course, but still." He calms down some, though he's still a bit alarmed.

"Then so be it. He should be easy enough to find. Hopefully I don't have to tie him to a tree this time"

She and Weaver both snicker at that; last time they poked Ink he was drunk and incredibly hyper. The goddess and her prize both agreed to tie him before he could break anything else.


	2. Preparations and Playfights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to get some backup. Also some fluff and freeing things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ink (C)Comyet/Myebi  
> Chaos!Ink (C) *The Devil 9000* on Discord

The little flier finds Ink rather quickly. She grabs a birch stick with familiar blue threads on one end and climbs up a nearby tree. Anchoring herself with her rear fighting claw, she tilts her head just right and pokes Ink on the head with the stick. 

He startles at that and whirls to get a face full of blue strings. But instead of Error, there's a certain fluffy bird cat hanging upside down by one foot, a stick in her mouth.

"Oh hey, bird mum! What's up? Besides you i mean!" He grins at her.

The flier purrs in approval and hops down, dropping the stick at his feet and giving his sleeve an insistent tug. Despite Ink's being, well, Ink, he understands the gesture and the symbolism of her greeting.

"Error's in trouble and needs me, huh?" he asks

She nods and mrows, padding ahead a bit and looking back to make sure he's following.

Once they get to a certain spot, she 'barks' quietly and Error comes out from one of his string nests. Ink immediately sweeps the slightly taller skele in a hug. Error glitches a bit at the contact but doesn't seem to mind. He trusts him.

When the tattooed artist finally calms down (he probably had too much Joy again), Error gets tackled to the ground and Storm sinks her teeth into the scarf. After an exaggerated sigh, Error pretends to pout, making Ink giggle like a schoolkid. 

"Mrr" says Storm through the scarf, a command they should really get moving. The cute kitty sound causes more giggling from Ink and Error both.

With a slight growl of annoyance, she ties the scarves together. Then she makes a portal to her Weaver's den and shoves both skeles through it. She jumps on top of the pile with an irritated hmph.

"Ok Weaver, how are we going to do this? Preferably without damaging anything."

"Oh i just need to break the string," replies Error as he untangles the scarves.

Storm smirks and jumps on his head because of course she does. Weaver is her favorite perch after all. Error looks up and gives her a small smile. This quickly fades as he looks around at the souls wrapped in string. He follows the string which to anyone else would be in a totally chaotic pattern. Not to Error though, it makes total sense to him... he put them all there after all. He follows the tangled string, eventually finding... its end. Implanted in the ground of the Anti-Void, the end of the string is tight as it goes up, holding all the souls in place. Seeing all of those souls sets Storm into full alert, ears pinned.

"All these victims...i can feel the echoes of their spirits. How long were you cuckoo bird to have done this much..?"

"I...don't know. Everything up til you beat me up the first time is just a haze of red and black; hate and rage"

"Which are also your colors" she murmurs

Shoving away her dark thoughts, she changes the subject.

"You know, i forgot to ask this before: are you venomous or something? i know you aren't poisonous because i'd have known the second i bit you."

"Wait, what?"

"Red, black, and yellow: those are warning colors, or mimics of warning colors. Usually means poison, so..."

He's still very confused, as is Ink (who decided to hug Error because why not).

"Aw, he's not poisonous," he chirps to the flier

Error startles at this, but he doesn't crash or anything, just yells at Ink in mock anger.

Storm hops off and the two start play fighting. She watches with amusement for a bit, then snaps them out of it with another adorable cat noise.

"As amusing as it is to see you two playing, remember why you are here. Free those bound first, fight later"

"Sorry momma bird" mutter both skeles sheepishly. 

Error tries to smile after the honestly adorable way the flier stopped the fight, but he can feel it... something... something's going to go wrong. Storm feels it too, her claws drawn in a flash. Though at least she’s careful _not_ to stick Error this time- he already has enough scars from her. Ink pulls his paintbrush out, also feeling the tension.

"Weaver, are you ready for this?" she asks quietly

Error nods and reaches out to the string, and taking it in both hands and it snaps. With the spell broken the string starts dissolving, the souls as they're freed start to "wake up" and float around. Many different souls of all colors, and different levels of damaged. Human souls, monster souls, all are being freed. Storm and Ink are watching it all

"Ooh, beautiful! What a lightshow, didn't realize they would be so colorful" murmurs the bird cat

"you’re doing a thing thing error" says Ink in a chipper tone.

The souls fly around and eventually most make their way to the top of the Anti-void. They fly about and seemingly disappear.

"Those souls a-are going t-to the beyond... wh-whatever that may be."

Some souls stay behind, they almost look confused. Some of them are just staying still. Soon enough, the remaining ones start zooming about. One of them bumps into Error but he doesn't seem to mind. They scatter and fly through the walls

"And those a-are heading b-back to th-their s-still alive owners."

One soul in particular catches Error's eye as it leaves, it glows a deep red, with what looks almost like black slime clinging onto it. Fear rises in him as that soul, too, disappears. Only two souls remain now, a faded teal-looking soul, and a half monster half human soul.

"Wow, that was amazing!" chirps a very excited bird, "but also rather dark considering what led to them being trapped... i assume the hybrid one is Cross's, right?"

Error nods, looking far off like he doesn't actually hear her.

"Come with us, Ink, it's time to fix what has been broken," says the flier. And then she bites Error in the neck to snap him out of his trance.

Ink gives a shocked _scree_ at the bite, not realizing she didn't hurt Error.

"Huh? What's wrong, Ink?"

"I...you...what?!"

The bite snaps Error out of it. Seems he's not concerned by the bitey little thing, so Ink calms down some.

"R-right, we should go. Cross is going to be _mad_. Hopefully this will appease him a bit."

"Agreed."

She grabs Ink's scarf and tugs on it while remaining on Error's shoulder

"waoh!, stormmmmm you don't need to drag me"

"No, but i want to!" she replies

"whyyyyy?" asks Ink with a pout

Error laughs, seems he feels a bit better.

"To annoy him," she replies to Ink, smirking at Error (who she also has by the scarf)

Cross' soul floats there, Error summons a string and it wraps itself around the soul, effectively leashing it

The teal soul remains in place, the glow from it pulsing.

"should we be worried about that soul?" asks Ink, eyelights two question marks

"Probably. What say you, Weaver?"

As she speaks she starts braiding the scarves together while the boys are distracted.

Error pretends to not notice the soul. He says quietly... "Leave h-her be."

"Should we go back to the realm then?' she asks as she finishes tying Ink's and Error's scarves together

"sure!" replies Ink, immediately distracted.

"Um... S-Storm? Why th-the tying?" asks Error, though he has a feeling he knows the answer.

"Because reasons," she chirps, suddenly dragging both of them to a portal

"woah!" yelps Ink

Error just crosses his arms; he knows this is his life now and has accepted it. 

The three tumble out of a portal near Cross.

"Well, that's convenient," says Error

**Author's Note:**

> Chaos! Error is ace/aro; I'm just putting that out there now as a reminder. This version of Error sees Ink as an annoying younger brother. It's a platonic sib-ship. Mostly reminding myself cause otherwise it'll get very shippy XD


End file.
